I am no on the computer much lately. But as promised I will post still. Since my Cancer scare and now having Sleep Apnea I have been getting emails and post about it. And now I am wondering why we had not thought of this before. Well me any way. Just my opinion ...but maybe there is a connection between our Graves' Disease and Sleep Apnea. Think about it. We are always tired but don't sleep well. We can sleep 18 hours a dayWe dose off while eating, While talking to people Sometimes nodding off while driving While standing in lineWe nod off at work.While sitting in a waiting roomNodding off at a restaurant or barSound like something you do ? Well I know I have done all these things. The only reason I got a Sleep test was because my husband said I was snoring very loud. Sometimes I would gag and sometimes even stop breathing. I had nightmares of A weight on my chestSomebody holding a hand over my mouthBeing buried aliveSomebody sitting on my chestSometimes in winter I would kick all the blankets off even if I was cold. I did that because I rather be cold then feel the weight of the blankets on me. Yes very scary feeling. My husband was getting no sleep as he was afraid I would stop breathing in my sleep and not wake up. So I mentioned this to my new doctor, who by the way let me try Amour. He suggested the sleep test.. I had it done the week before my cancer surgery. I am glad I did as I now know I needed it. AS you all know I now wear a CPAP mask to sleep at night. I also have oxygen during the day. As much as I hate having to wear the CPAP and oxygen ...I have to admit it has helped me. I breath better I feel better and I do not dose off during the day. Even recovering from surgery I feel like I have more energy and not feeling so dopy. A few others I have talked to that are now on a CPAP or just oxygen have told me the same thing. They feel so much better. Soooooo.....maybe we just need more oxygen. It would not hurt to talk to your doctor about it. We all know we end up with something else once we have a thyroid disease. Maybe just maybe this is one of them.

Update. Dec 2 I had a complete Hysterectomy to rid me of cancer. So far it seems they got it all as I caught it in an early stage. I will find out final results next week. In the mean time I am recovering and on oxygen during the day and a CPAP when I sleep. All and all I feel better everyday and am just happy to wake up to a new day everyday. I have a new bucket list for this year. I will be on the computer less and working more on my health and well being. Life is short and I plan on enjoying what I am lucky enough to have. I want to spend more time out doors and enjoy this good green Earth. I will not be posting as much on my website and on FB about Thyroid Disease. There are so many good people out there now doing just that. Please check out Thyroid Change for some really good advice. I have been at it for 5 years and now need some me and family time. I will check in now and then. Thank you one and all for being with me on this journey.Feel free to email me @ tdcoffeebreak@gmail.com My updates may just be once a month for now.

I am back. Slowly but surely. My surgery so far was a success. Details coming. I just want to take a moment to Thank all of you that sent Prayers, cards and more. I am sure it helped with my getting through all this. And I can not tell you with out crying how much my husband and my Nikki has done for me. My Sharmaine and Corina also helped me feel so much better. I am blessed with this family.I am keeping my log and updating for all my friends and family about this new journey I have been going through with a Uterus Cancer scare. I must admit I have been very scared. But, it is alright to be scared of the unknown. My doctor did tell me it was not a matter if "IF" I would get a new illness (like cancer) it was a matter of when. All because of my Graves's Disease. So this is another reason I am keeping you all in the loop. If it can happen to me it can happen to you. I am not trying to scare anybody just keep you informed. And to let you know what happen to me. If it happens to you ...well you will know more what to expect. I am grateful to Chris, Beth,Chalene, Mary, Claire, Dee and a few others for their support and /or information. Information has helped me get through so much and has me worry less. I still get tired very fast it seems. I get up and walk as much as I can. No matter what your health problem is. IF at all possible get up and walk. Even if just around the house. You may hurt...but believe me you will feel better in the long run. I have to cough and use that breathing device to suck in air. I am not so good at that. All things you have to do to get better. It will hurt. Thanks to Beth I now have my little Bear friend Roger. I hug him to death when I have to cough. My great grand daughter who is here with her mom and brother to take care of me named him for me. Kiyana is 4 and her brother Jayden is 7. Kiyana gets inside the walker w/ me and helps me walk (?). Jayden rolls and un rolls my oxygen cord as I walk. Jayden also know how to check the water , plug and un plug me to my CCAP breathing machine. Kiyana Checks my nose tube and my mask to make sure air is coming out. And every morning my Kiyana ask me if I am feeling better to day. How can I not? My Nikki and Marty both check to make sure I take my medication. Nikki helps me get in and out of the tub. AS ours is a very deep one and I need a step stool.TIme for me to go rest. Back shortly w/ recovery detai

Sleep Test Done: Well I went to the Er last night at 8:30 to check in for my Sleep test. Two of us were doing the test last night. The other lady was first. So the tech gave me a remote for the TV and told me to just relax and watch TV or read and he would be back to wire me up. The room I was assigned to was like a hotel room. Nice comfy dbl. bed with thick comforter. I was glad of that because it was 23 out last night. Complete w/ a shower and magazines and vases of artificial flowers. Very nice. I wore my own comfy Pajamas and wooly sox, had my own pillow and candy to suck on and a good book. When the tech came back he wired me up. I had to have clean hair and left loose. No conditioner. So he puts some stuff on my scalp . Today took me 3 times to wash it out. It was like melted carmel in my hair. Any way about 4-6 wires in my hair. One on each arm and leg. A belt around my chest and one on my waist. All attached to a black box with a hanging strap. I also had a phone with a HELP button , and a bell to call tech. But that is not all. I could just sit up and wait about 30 seconds and the tech would come to check on me. Wow I need that at home. Ahhh but I have Marty. So now I am all wired up and I am told to go to bed now...ah OK. Haven't been told that for a few years,lol. So I wake up at 2:05 . I need to go to the little girls room. I sit up and Wala here is the tech to unplug me, but the box strap over my shoulder and kindly waits for me to go back to bed. Only now he tells me. He was going to wake me up at 2:15 any way to put my air mask on me and hook me up to yet another machine. The mask is like the kind they put on you in surgery. Well I guess I slept ok. Ofcourse I took a Valium before I got to the ER. I woke up at 5:15 and the tech unplugged me at 5:30. By then Marty came to take me home. I came home to a warm house and warm bed. Marty and I went back to bed and I didn't wake up till 10:30 Am. At 1:30 I was seeing my Doc again for last minute stuff. He was so proud of me. The Amour is working gang. Sept. my TSH was 52.710 (real bad), Oct . I got it to 32.930 and by Nov 20th down to 23.47. I need it to at least 10 by Monday....so going from 60mg to 120mg today. Can I do it....yes I can !!! I did 30mg, then 60mg and now 120. Doctor does not usually do this upgrade this fast...but I am doing better ...so here we go.

Just something I do and you should think of doing. I have a large notebook I keep in a canvas shopping bag. The note book has dividers in it and an index. Under A for instance is Appointments along side each appointment is what appointment is for and with who plus vitals for that day. This book has all my lab work, surgeries, phone numbers, living will, X-rays, photos of before and after, thyroid information , consent forms I signed, letters to my family (in case), medication I take w/ info , a calendar, copies of my proof of insurance, and much more. Nurses are very impressed. Why because sometimes you go to a new doctor and all they know is what you tell them about you. They do not have your records to go by......till now. I also keep a small note book and pen to take notes. I put my questions and concerns in front of the note book for my doctor visits. I am prepared. I learned the hard way. This note book has saved me many times.So many of us even forget to take a note of questions or concern's we have when we go for a doctor visit. I know I have gone to the doctor and come out mad at myself because I for got to ask about something or forgot to tell my doctor about something I was worried about. Mind you I know some of us have doctors that seem like they just do not care or just do not know enough about our disease to take care of us properly. But believe me when you walk in and pull out this note book...you will impress not just the nurse but the doctor. And they Will take notice that you do know exactly what your talking about. I know some of you think you are not strong enough to stand up to your doctor. I am here to tell you that you are strong enough. Just walk in and pull out the note book. When they ask what is that...just tell them all the answers to what ever they want to ask about your health and why you are there. Some doctors may not like it ...but to bad. Many of you know I talk asbout going to the doctor like going to a good or bad mechanic. My husband keeps a book in his car about when he had an oil change or did something else on the car. He also will drop a bad mechanic real fast. You would not pay a mechanic to change your oil and then find out he didn't. So why would you pay a doctor to take care of you and he/she tells you "Oh your find...it is just in your head". Or your just depressed. Hell yes I am depressed. Depressed because the doctor is not doing his/her job. Now there are some very good doctors out there. Yes very hard to find...but I have seen a doctor that may not seem very good turn into a good one when confronted with.....Aha the Magic Medical Note book. Try it. You may think you do not have enough to put in the Note book. Think again. You will be surprised to see how much you already have to put into a Note book.

Elaine Apodaca-Martinez Update: Thursday I go for an Echo Heart test...(?), Monday I go for a Sleep test and the next day to be fitted for my oxygen mask. This usually takes 2-3 weeks. Marty picked up my prescription for my stuff to flush me out before surgery. $16.00 for the darn stuff. I can eat a box of bran flacks w/ prunes for less. Talk about $ down the toilet. I was lucky a friend brought me a bottle o the wash I need to wash my stomach w/ for 5 days before surgery. Saw my Primary Doc today at 5:00PM and he is pushing everything I need before the Holidays. I had labs done to night and he upped my Amour and more High blood pressure meds. Plus meds to keep me calm for the rest of the week. WHAT i an not calm..?????? I started bleeding when I shouldn't be, had test, biopsy, DNC, uterus Ultrasounds, More Exams, Pre opp , told I have cancer, counseling for my cancer and cancer hysterectomy Dec 2nd. All in 3 months. OH Yeah I need some drugs now. I feel like I am on a fast train to Hell.

Cancer Update: The good news (?) is my Uterus Cancer is stage 1-3. Why? because they still could not tell how far along or were else the cancer is. When the surgery is done samples will be sent down to lab and before they are done they will know how much of my insides they will take out. So far I am having a Robotic Hysterectomy...which may or may not ending up with my being cut open after the test. Surgery is planed for December 2. SO I can have a nice Thanksgiving . Bad news is: my TSH is still very high at 32.930. I need to bring that down to at least below 10...preferably 5. My Graves' Disease is complicating things. My Amour brought the TSh down about 20 points in a month and my doctor doubled it from 30 to 60. So we are hoping I can do it. IF I don't the surgery will have to be put off till I do and that puts my cancer at a greater risk. There is more. I have to do some sleep test for Aphea. I am not getting enough Oxigen and my breathing stops in the middle of the night. So now to kick some TSH butt.

Elaine Apodaca-Martinez UPDAte: I just woke up. Answering a few things and going back to bed. Marty and I and our 2 great grand kids left to Denver yesterday about 7 AM. We had to take our dog out to our friends ranch on the way out. We did not know how long we would be gone and our dog likes it out there. My appointment was for 12:30 PM and it is about a 3 hr drive to Denver ...so plenty of time. Wouldn't you know it hwy. construction all the way. I had even check 1st. I am nervous as it is and now this. We arrived @ 1:30 PM. I had called to tell them we would be late. I no sooner walked in and they took me right back. It took me 6 and a half hours for all my test and everything. I was so tired...but grateful that the people @ the Cancer Center were so kind and not rushed or pushy. Because my surgery is not for a few weeks we decided to just drive home. I slept all the way We left Denver @ 7:PM and got home about 11:30PM. My poor husband is so tired. BUt he got up by 8 . I got up about noon. That was my day...next up is the findings.

UPDAte: I just woke up. Answering a few things and going back to bed. Marty and I and our 2 great grand kids left to Denver yesterday about 7 AM. We had to take our dog out to our friends ranch on the way out. We did not know how long we would be gone and our dog likes it out there. My appointment was for 12:30 PM and it is about a 3 hr drive to Denver ...so plenty of time. Wouldn't you know it hwy. construction all the way. I had even check 1st. I am nervous as it is and now this. We arrived @ 1:30 PM. I had called to tell them we would be late. I no sooner walked in and they took me right back. It took me 6 and a half hours for all my test and everything. I was so tired...but grateful that the people @ the Cancer Center were so kind and not rushed or pushy. Because my surgery is not for a few weeks we decided to just drive home. I slept all the way We left Denver @ 7:PM and got home about 11:30PM. My poor husband is so tired. BUt he got up by 8 . I got up about noon. That was my day...next up is the findings.

I just found out this week I have Uterus Cancer on top of my Graves' Disease and Ted. I go for an Exam and Pre-opp on the !2th. I do not know the expences I will have. But the gas alone to travel 200 miles ...well more then one trip I can not do. In the mean time some very good friends and family are trying to help me and I am posting the Fund Raiser here. Thank You and God Bless. I will keep you updated. Lynda Heitleband Brewsterhttps://www.giveforward.com/.../elaine-s-uterus-cancer-fundHelp Support Elaine's Uterus Cancer Fundwww.giveforward.comShow Elaine support in her battle w/ uterus Cancer treatment 200 miles away. Need travel plus . Join friends & family Elaine has Thyroid Disease and Thyroid Eye Disease. She now has Uterus Cancer and needs surgery and possible radiation treatments. Her husband who is in remission from Prostate cance...

Elaine

I am the person that started the first coffee break. I Have had Graves' Disease for at least 10 years. I also have Thyroid Eye Disease. I give Thyroid Disease Support . My goal in life is to inform the public about Thyroid Disease.